Catch and Release

I was walking through the hallway of our guest house when I saw one of the girls look at me with an alert and surprised expression, and said, “There’s a big animal behind the door!” I looked behind the door (it was between the wall and the swung-open door). I was sooo excited and thought it was the cutest thing ever. It is called a Dassie Rat, or a Hyrax. I told the other girl who was there that I needed something to catch it with. She asked: “Do you want me to go get a pillow case?” “Yeah, a pillow case or sack or a sheet or something”, so she got me a sheet. And then, since it was behind the door, I used the door as a wall so it wouldn’t bolt off, and covered the little rodent with the sheet. I kindof did a scooping action around the squirrel/mouse-like rodent and enclosed the sheet around it. It struggled a little when I was trying to pick him up, but then he settled down (in fear) as I got the blanket more securely around him. So, I carried it outside with some girls that were wondering what all the ruckus was about. After walking to the dirt road a few steps from the Guest House, I dropped the sheet and Dassie dashed away across the compound. It’s fun to be from Montana where you see all sorts of wild animals every so often, so I think I am used to it. I did, however, think about the thickness of the sheet, just in case the little rodent was carrying a disease, so I didn’t get bit. But, it was the excitement of the morning. A little disclaimer: the picture does not belong to anyone here - I found it on the internet because I wanted people to see what little rodent I was talking about.

There is a turkey outside that was bought by one of the staff workers here. During and after the rodent episode, he was outside chilling on the cement pad right outside the parking area for the vehicles. He had is mouth open as if he were just about to attack something, and his wings were drooping to his sides in an alert position. And a few minutes ago he was making challenges to his reflection in the tainted windows just a few feet next to me. He's just walking around on the veranda as if he's lived here his entire life. I wonder when we're going to have him for supper...